In the classroom, silence prevailed. The students diligently wrote their tests. Albina Romanovna walked back and forth near the board, watching the kids. Suddenly, her attention was distracted by someone knocking at the door. The teacher left the classroom.
«Hey, Tarasov! So, did the bums chip in for your tux for the prom?» Genka Rodkin suddenly sneered from the front row.
The class erupted in spiteful laughter.
«Wait, our Tarasov didn’t find the right size,» Lena Timokhina chuckled. Everyone roared with laughter. Vova Tarasov sat there, looking downcast. What could he say against so many classmates? He felt uncomfortable and empty. He wanted to flee the classroom, but he couldn’t. Albina Romanovna would immediately write a severe remark in his diary. Then at home… His mother wouldn’t hold back. She’d grab the thick belt. No, it was better to endure these taunts. It would all be over soon, and he, Tarasov, would leave this place. Besides, the holidays were near. Everything would be left behind. With that thought, Vovka continued to write his test. It was good that he had a knack for learning, otherwise the kids would have pecked him to death. They didn’t really like flunkies…
Soon Albina Romanovna returned. Silence reigned in the classroom again. The children were afraid of their class teacher. The teacher was strict. She could call parents to the principal, lower a grade for performance, and generally start treating differently. None of the students wanted to end up on her «blacklist» of undesirables.
The bell rang. Vova finished the assignments and handed his notebook to the teacher’s desk. Throwing his worn backpack over his shoulder, he left the classroom behind everyone, trying not to attract extra attention. He really didn’t want to catch the attention of Rodkin or someone like him. There were quite a few of them.
The closer he got to home, the shakier his knees became. Now another troubling scene awaited him. Because of this, Vovka sometimes dreamed of fleeing to the ends of the earth. His mother was probably drunk again. It happened often. Endless parties at home with some uncles. Olya, Vovka’s mother, often snapped at her son. Especially when she drank. She could even grab a belt if she didn’t like something. It was shameful to tell anyone about it. The teenager feared mockery. He feared ending up in an orphanage. After all, he didn’t have long until adulthood. Then he would cope on his own. Find a job and live separately. That’s what he dreamed. Vovka Tarasov, whom everyone around was ready to offend.
Of course, if the boy didn’t wear such worn-out clothes, nobody would laugh at him. It was good that he learned to wash these clothes himself. His mother couldn’t care less. The house was a perpetual mess and dirty. Olga didn’t care about cleanliness. She herself wore a robe, worn out to holes. All disheveled, her eyes swollen. Early wrinkles spoke of her disgraceful lifestyle.
Neighbors met Olga and just shook their heads. «Hopeless!» they would say after her.
Vovka pushed the doors to the house open. From the kitchen, male and female voices could be heard. The smells of alcohol and burnt food wafted through. Once again, his mother brought some guy home and was drinking with him. She didn’t care about him, Vovka. And he had his prom soon. The boy wanted to look no worse than everyone else. How come, classmates would be dressed up, and he… He didn’t even have anything to wear. There was no festive clothing. What to say, Vova barely got anything to eat. All of his mother’s boyfriends ate everything.
The teenager threw his school bag in his room and quietly slipped out of the house. In the garden, strawberries were ripening, still green. This didn’t bother the hungry boy. Anything to throw into his mouth, just to stop his stomach from growling.
«Hungry?» – from behind the fence appeared the neighbor lady, Baba Nadya.
«Hello!» – Vovka greeted her awkwardly.
«Come on, I’ll feed you,» she offered. – «Don’t be shy. I have pancakes with jam and sour cream. Otherwise, you’ll completely waste away. And you ate green strawberries. Your stomach will hurt.»
Vovka followed her. It was awkward, but he was very hungry.
«I would hang your mother by one place!» – the elderly woman cursed, putting a big bowl of browned pastries in front of Vovka. – «God, the boy starved at school, and she brings home whichever suitor, boozing. She drinks away all your benefits!»
She was outraged. Vova kept silent. He was ashamed of his foolish mother.
«Well, are you full?» – asked the grandmother when the boy finished the last pancake. He nodded.
«Thank you very much!» – he sincerely thanked Baba Nadya.
«You’re welcome. Just glad to do a good deed. I hope that’ll hold you till the evening. If anything, come over. I’ll make borscht. We’ll have dinner together,» she muttered.
Vova returned home and felt sleepy. He decided to take a short nap.
… They walked through the amusement park. Ten-year-old Vovka, mom, and dad. So joyful and carefree. It seemed life was ahead of them. Vovka was devouring cream ice cream with chocolate. In his other hand, he held colorful balloons. Mom pointed somewhere in the distance and laughed, talking to dad. That day the boy remembered forever. He dreamed of it again today.
After the fun, the family headed home.
«Dad, did you forget to buckle up?» – the child said to the man sitting in the car’s cabin.
«Ah, forget it,» – Vovka’s father smiled, looking in the mirror. – «It’s just a couple of blocks to drive.»
Not reaching home, the car collided with a truck. The father managed to turn the car, but he didn’t survive. Only mom and Vovka were left alive.
Mother cried for a long time. Couldn’t recover. She never used to drink before. After dad’s death, she took up the glass. From then on, she drank. Quenched the pain of loss. True, at that time Olga could manage work, raise a child, but now she didn’t understand what she was living for. Just lived day by day. She made Vovka miserable. The boy never thought life could be so cruel…
His slumber was interrupted by shouts. Someone’s male voice yelled songs. Apparently, the man was completely drunk. Mother also screamed, but not loudly.
Vova remembered his homework and started studying. Another test is tomorrow. He needs to prepare. Summer was almost there outside. It was warm and nice. The sun shone all day. Not a single cloud in the sky. On such days, the guys nearby played football. Sometimes Vovka joined them. Today, he also wanted to play with the teenagers. He didn’t want to sit at home all day listening to drunk people’s songs.
After learning his lessons, Vovka quietly sneaked out and went for a walk. Luckily, no one noticed him. Otherwise, they would have definitely sent him to the store for another bottle of vodka.
The game didn’t last long. If Vovka had come earlier, they would have played longer. The kids dispersed. Remembering the offered borscht, Vova headed to Grandma Nadya’s.
Grandma loved him. He was a kind boy. Sometimes he helped her in the garden and around the house. That’s why she fed him, out of gratitude and simply because she felt sorry for him. Once, Grandma Nadya wanted to report to the guardianship authorities but changed her mind. How would Vovka’s fate turn out? He didn’t have much longer to grow up here. No worries, Grandma Nadya would take care of him; after that, they would see. To her, he was like a grandson. Her own children lived far away. They seldom visited.
«Thank you! The borscht is delicious,» the boy’s eyes sparkled.
«Well, it’s good that it’s tasty,» replied the grandma. «And here’s what I’ve thought of. You need money, right?»
«What did you come up with?» Vovka grumbled.
«Not me. A car wash opened nearby. I know the owner. I told him about you. You should go there, earn some money. Graduation is coming soon. And you don’t have any clothes,» Grandma Nadya told him.
The boy was delighted. It was hard to find a job in their small town.
«You’ve surprised me!» he exclaimed.
«Go there early tomorrow. Before school. And after school, you can work. I think everything will be fine,» the elderly woman assured.
Vova could hardly wait for the last lesson’s bell. Classmates again discussed the graduation. They laughed at him again, at Vovka. They called him a pauper and a simpleton. It was low of them, and it hurt the teenager. Only one of the girls, Zlata, defended him. He had liked her for a long time. Or maybe she just felt sorry for the boy.
After the lessons ended, Vova went to the car wash.
«Are you Tarasov?» said the boss.
«Yes,» the teenager nodded.
«Then you can start right now. Here’s all the equipment. I think you know how to wash cars.»
«Yes, I’ve done it before. My father had a car.»
He really succeeded at work. Clients thanked him. Some left tips. Now Vova wouldn’t be hungry. He could even feed Grandma Nadya…
As soon as he entered the house, his mother appeared in front of him.
«Where have you been?» she gasped, looking at the bag in her son’s hands. «Let me see what you’ve brought.»
«It’s not for you!» Vovka said angrily.
«Then for whom else?» she sneered. «Hey, Kostik! Come here!»
Vovka sadly watched as his mother and her boyfriend took away the groceries he bought at the local store. If he tried to take them back, he would be beaten. And Vovka didn’t want to walk around with bruises. Scratching the back of his head, he went to Grandma Nadya’s.
«What a snake!» the grandmother exclaimed. «The child worked hard all day, and this viper took everything from him. Never mind. You’ll be a scholar. Next time, you can leave the groceries with me. I won’t touch them and won’t give them to anyone.»
Vova couldn’t hold back his tears as he recounted his sad story. How hurt he felt…
Time passed. The exams ended. The day of the school graduation ball was approaching. Vova had earned a decent sum. His boss liked his responsibility and made allowances for him when he needed them.
On that day, Vova was planning to go home early. He needed to help Grandma Nadya.
«Vov, there’s a guy in a ‘Jeep’ outside. Listen, could you wash his car? Otherwise, we’ll have problems. And Vitka – your partner hasn’t arrived yet,» his boss asked.
Vova returned to work. While a man in a gray jacket talked on the phone, the young man quickly cleaned his expensive car.
«Well done!» praised the car owner. «I didn’t think you’d be done so fast.»
He patted the washer on the shoulder and gave him a couple of bills.
«This is for your speed!» he thanked him.
«Wait,» he suddenly stopped. «It seems I know you. You’re the son of Andruha Tarasov, right?»
The teenager nodded.
«So, Andrei… Listen, do you want to go out to dinner with me? I was just about to go eat. I can’t not take you with me,» he continued.
«I can’t… I promised to help Grandma Nadya!» Vova refused his offer.
«Come on! I know Grandma Nadya. We can help her together later,» insisted the man. His name was Edik. He had once been friends with Vovka’s father. Maybe now, they would have been partners. They wanted to start a business together. If Vovka’s father hadn’t passed away…
In the restaurant where Eduard and Vova were dining, soft music played in the background. The waiter quickly brought the menu and took their order. Vova had never been to a restaurant before. He kept looking around, everything seeming unusual to him.
«Do you think I don’t know how you’re living now?» sighed Uncle Edik. «I recently visited your town, and they told me everything. Maybe you’ll change jobs? You’ve finished school anyway.»
«No, I still need to study,» replied the teenager.
«You can study with me. I’ll help you. Just promise that you won’t slack off,» the man continued.
Vova liked his offer. Working for Uncle Edik would be much more interesting than at the car wash, and the pay was better.
Vova returned home late. He helped Grandma Nadya the next day. When she learned about her son’s friend, the elderly woman was delighted.
«Has God really taken mercy on you?» she exclaimed. «What a joy! Just don’t tell your mother anything.»
Vova nodded. Why bother telling her? Olga was already on her son’s case every day, and he gave her a couple of hundred just to keep her off his back. She was always drunk, never sobering up. She didn’t care how Vova finished school. She never even asked how he was doing. No, she just needed to drink. The woman didn’t care that her son was being mistreated. If she had given up her bad habits, perhaps Vova would have had a new suit, trendy sneakers, and a decent backpack. Sometimes the boy didn’t even have a notebook or pen and had to ask his teacher for them. And the teacher – what a snob she was. She could mock Vova behind his back, while he couldn’t hear. She simply didn’t like how he dressed. The teacher once visited Tarasov’s sober mother. True, she hadn’t managed to clean up the mess at home. The teacher paid no attention to it. What mattered was that Olga was coherent and could speak calmly. Albina Romanovna believed Olga. She admitted that she was unemployed and thus couldn’t buy the necessary things for her son. The teacher believed her. If Albina Romanovna had understood what was happening with her student, he would definitely have been sent to an orphanage.
At the graduation, all the classmates gathered. The homeroom teacher also came.
Someone sarcastically shouted:
«Where’s our Alain Delon?»
«Tarasov? He’s still in line. Choosing a bum outfit for the ball!» mocked one of the classmates.
Everyone laughed out loud. Except for Zlata. She stood and stared somewhere, her mouth agape. Out of the «Jeep» stepped Vova, dressed in a blue suit with a sheen! The students caught her gaze and also looked at the unusual scene.
«Is that Tarasov?» shouted Genka.
«It can’t be…» Lena drawled.
«Cool!» Stepanov chimed in.
Albina Romanovna gasped, seeing Vova. She had never seen him look so handsome. He had his hair done in a salon.
«You look like you stepped out of a picture!» she said when he approached his class.
Zlata approached Vova first, and he took her arm. She also looked beautiful in her beige dress with pink ruffles.
The couple had the most beautiful school waltz. The girls kept glancing at Tarasov. He paid them no mind. He had Zlata. Vova had loved this girl since the start of their school journey. He just feared confessing it because he had no money. Because he came from a poor family. Who would look at him then? But now things were different.
After graduation, Vova walked Zlata all the way home. He even kissed her goodbye. For the first time, he admitted that he loved her. She seemed to have been waiting for those words.
That evening Vova came home very tired. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he noticed what he hadn’t seen in a long time. The whole house was sparkling clean. There wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere. In the kitchen, someone had washed all the dishes, the floor. And it smelled so delicious! Vova looked into the pot and saw soup. He took a spoon and stirred it. It contained potatoes, meatball pieces, and herbs. The boy wondered who had bothered to clean the house and cook.
In the doorway of his mother’s bedroom, there she was, his mother.
«Forgive me, son,» she said, approaching. «I am so guilty before you. I wanted to give you some sort of celebration.»
He hugged his mother and said:
«Thank you, Mom. If only you knew how I’ve dreamed of this…»
«From now on, it will always be like this!» Olga promised confidently.
She truly quit her wayward lifestyle. She got a job. The house started to have all the necessary things. There was always food in the fridge. Olga loved to cook. She even bought Vova a gift—an electric shaver. The son was delighted. He had dreamed that his mother would take such good care of him. Now he was grateful to the universe for it.
Olga even improved her appearance over time. She started dressing decently.
One day, she and Volodya were sitting in the living room watching an interesting movie on TV. Suddenly, someone knocked gently on the door.
«I’ll get it,» said the mother and ran to the exit.
Pushing open the doors, she met the gaze of an unfamiliar man. But, upon closer inspection, she remembered where she had seen him.
«Edik, is that you?» the woman recoiled.
«It’s me,» he smiled. «I came to see Volodya. He said he could look at the carburetor.»
«Yes, yes, of course! Come in,» she invited him.
They entered the living room. Vova jumped up from his seat.
«Oh, I didn’t know you’d come so early,» the boy said.
«I’ll make some tea right now,» Olga bustled.
A few minutes later, the three of them were sitting in the kitchen, eating sandwiches with delicious, aromatic tea.
«I never thought you lived alone like this,» said the guest.
Vova noticed how his mother and Uncle Edik exchanged glances. The boy remembered that he wanted to do something in the yard right now, and immediately left, leaving his mother and his boss alone.
They talked for a long time, reminiscing about the past. Then Edik unexpectedly took her hand and suggested:
«May I take you out to dinner tomorrow?»
She fluttered her eyelashes frequently.
«I would like that,» Olga agreed.
Five and a half years passed. Volodya’s former classmates had long been living their own lives.
Vova had long returned from the army and was working at Eduard’s firm. He had managed to get an education thanks to this kind man. And now the young man had a little sister, Sonya. Now, as he was walking home from work, he thought about his wife.
«Zlata!» he called out as he entered the house. His wife ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sonya followed her to Vova.
«Where’s Mom?» he asked the little girl.
«Mom went away with Dad,» she lisped. «Only Grandma Nadya is at home.»
«You little rascal,» picking up Sonya, the young man said, then turned to his wife:
«How is my queen doing? Did morning sickness bother you again today?»
«No, today was all good,» she smiled.
Vova touched her stomach with his hand:
«Hey, soccer player or soccer playerette! Stop tormenting Mom!»
«He’s not a soccer player,» Sonya chirped. «It’s her—Masha. Our girl will be called Masha, like my doll.»
The little one hugged her doll, and everyone burst into laughter.
Grandma Nadya lived with them for a long time. She remained clear-minded and with good memory until the end of her days at 92 years old. The old woman was loved for her kindness and readiness to support. And she rejoiced that everything had finally worked out for Vova.
